Hyderabad: A consumer ordered Swiggy to pay a total sum of Rs 35,453 to a customer after it took an extra charge from him by showing increased delivery distance.
Emmadi Suresh Babu purchased a Swiggy One membership which provides free delivery up to a certain distance. Babu ordered from Swiggy on November 1, 2023, from a place which was 9.7 kilometres away from him. According to the provisions of his membership he was supposed to get the order without any delivery charges. When he ordered the food, Swiggy showed an increased distance of 14 kilometres to him which would charge him Rs 103 extra as a delivery fee. Babu filed a complaint against Swiggy at the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Ranga Reddy.
Swiggy absent during court hearing
The court investigated into the matter after reviewing the evidence provided by Babu including his screenshots of Google Maps. The court found a notable increment in the distance showed by Swiggy compared to the actual delivery distance. Despite summons by the court Swiggy did not attend the hearings. The court proceeded in the matter taking into considerations the affidavit and evidence provided by Babu.
Fines to be paid by Swiggy
The court in its ruling ordered Swiggy to refund Rs 350.48 along with 9 per cent interest, along with Rs 103 delivery charge. The court also ordered Swiggy to pay Rs 5,000 for causing mental distress and inconvenience to Babu and additional Rs 5,000 for litigation costs.
The court also asked Swiggy to deposit Rs 25,000 into the Consumer Welfare Fund of the Ranga Reddy District Commission as punitive damages. The court has given 45 days to Swiggy for following the court’s order. The case is important because Swiggy is preparing to step in the primary market, with it IPO planned to be released on November 7.
